Rolling mill



Oct. 27,1931. E. G. BUDD 1,829,126

ROLLING MILL Filed Feb. 25, 1928 4 Sheets-Shee 1 IN VEN TOR.- Fdldartd 0. Jam

A TTORNEY.

E. e. BUDD ROLLING MILL Oct. 27, 1931.

Filed Feb. 23, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 R m m V m Edward 0.,fizccld, BY W Zw ATTORNEY.

Oct. 27, 1931. E. G. BUDD 1,329,126

ROLLING MILL Filed Feb. 23, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 1N VENTOR." Edda/d 0.3m

BY ATTORNE; 1

E. G. BUDD ROLLING MILL Oct. 27, 1931.

Filed Feb. 23, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR- Edward 0.3m,

ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 27, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE EDWARD G. BUDD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO B'iIIDD WHEEL COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA; PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION SYLVANIA OF PENN- noLLme MILL Application filed February 23, 1928. Serial No. 256,129.

My invention relates to rolling mills and has to do more particularly, with a mill which is adapted to be operated under heavy rolling pressure and by the use of which relatively thin square or rectangular blanks may be expeditiously and satisfactorily rolled by successive rolling operations along radial lines from the center to the periphery to substantially circular form and to taper the blank symmetrically about its center and from the center to the periphery.

It is an object of my invention to rovide a machine of this clas which can prodhce the heavy rolling pressures under relatively low power and which is capable of producing work of a high degree of accuracy and at a very rapid rate, and which can be ve accurately adjusted to produce work 0 any desired thickness within the working limits of the machine.

I attain this end by providing a machine having a frame of massive proportions, in which are journaled from the opposite sides thereof two opposed rollshaving journals of large proportions, rotating in bearin provided in the opposite sides of the frame, the inner portions of said rolls overlapping and having their working faces formed on cut-out portions of the cylindrical overlapping portions of the rolls facing each other and by supporting said inner overlapping portions of the rolls which are subject to the powerful f rolling stresses through bearings of generous proportions in said massive frame, whereby the rolls are, by being supported by the mass of the frame through substantially their entire length preventing from springing apart, and hence insuring uniformityof product and long life of the machine. The rolls are oscillated, instead of being continuously rotated and, for the same speed of drive are thus capable of turning out the work fed to them at each oscillation at a fasterrate than is possible with continuously operated rolls. For oscillating the rolls with a balanced drive and minimum of vibration, which also tends to prolong the life of the machine and the quality of the product, without cutting into the massive bearing supporting structure of the rolls, their ends project respectively,

from the opposite sides of the frame and are joined by cranks and connecting rods, to a continuously driven shaft balanced by heav fly wheels on opposite ends thereof to whic the connecting rods are eccentrically joined. One or both of these fly wheels may well be a huge gear, meshing with a drive pinion or pinions on a counter shaft which is driven by a ositive driving connection, such as a link be t drive from a motor which may be mounted on the top of the machine.

The machine so constituted is very compactly arranged for so powerful a machine by having the rolls journalled adjacent the front of the machine and the drive shaft at the rear of the machine, with the counter shaft in an intermediate position and the motor on top of the machine.

While the general arrangement here described is a preferred organization of my machine, various changes and modifications will obviously occur to one skilled in this art, and such changes and modifications as fall within the range of equivalents and the spirit and scope of my invention, through their attain ment of the objects thereof, are comprehended within the spirit and scope of the claims appended at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, where I have illustrated'a preferred form of my invention. 1

Fig. 1 represents the machine in a plan vlew;

Fig. 2, in a side view,

Fig. 3, in a longitudinal vertical sectional View, the section being taken approximately on the line 33 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4, in a transverse vertical sectional view, the section being taken approximately on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

The machine, being of massive proportions, is supported upon a suitably prepared foundation 10, the main frame thereof carryin the roll bearings being a rectangular bloc 11 of eater height than width or depth, to provide a heav mass of metal above and below the roll earings, in the direction in which the rolling stresses act. It is, however, lightened materially, without substantially decreasing its strength, by forming it with rectangularrecesses 12' at sides, top and bottom which are separated by thick webs of metal 13.

For convenience in manufacture, and for mounting the rolls in position in the frame, the main frame 11 is formed in two sections divided in a vertical transverse plane, a rear or main section 11 and a forward section of lesser mass 11 In the forward portion of the main section 11 and the rear portion of the lesser section 11 is formed the irregular housing receiving the greater portions of the rolls 14 and 15 and, the bearing and adjusting elements therefor. This housing is formed as best I shown in Figs. 3 and 4, by vertical rear and front walls 16 and 17, a top wall comprised of a relatively long portion 18 downwardly inclined right to left, Fig. 4 and a relatively short portion 19 downwardly offset from the portion 18, separated therefrom by a vertical wall 20, and downwardly inclined in the opposite direction, i. e.,' from left to right, and

' a bottom wall comprised of a relatively long horizontal portion 21 extending in from'the opposite side of the frame from the corre- -semi-cylindrical surfaces of the bearing ustable, in a manner and for a purpose to be presently-described. The rolls 14 and 15 which extend inwardly from the opposite faces of the main frame 11, respectively, to the vertical walls 20 and 23 of the roll and bearing housing, are formed with outer cylindrical portions 26 and 27 which are supported on the sides thereof remote from the bearing blocks 24 and 25, by adjustable bearing blocks .28 and 29. V v

The inner'overlapping portions 30 and 31 of the rolls are formed in their sides remote from each other with semi-cylindrical surfaces 32 and 33 in, extension of the outer cylindrical portions 26 and 27, these surfaces 32 and 33 cooperating with the corresponding blocks 24 and 25 to provide extensive bearing surfaces to take the rolling pressures.

To provide clearance between the inner overlapping portions of the rolls to permit oscillation thereof and to permit the feeding of the work to and its removal from between them. they are cut away as clearly appears in Figs. 3 and 4, and at a point diametrically opposite their semi-cylindrical bearings 32 and 33 are located the cooperating working faces 35, which preferably form parts of removable dies 36 and 37 of a shape and surface contour conforming to the, work.

In this case, these removable dies are shown as having substantially triangular working faces substantially of the shape and contour disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,568,050, dated January 5, 1926, for mill and method for rolling tapered discs, in which the dies are formed to roll tapered discs such as wheel discs, and for the rolling of which my machine is well adapted.

The rolls are formed at their outer ends with extensions 38 and 39 of reduced diameter projecting through openings 40 and 41 in retainer plates 43 and 44 secured to the opposite sides of the main frame 11, and retain ing the rolls and bearing blocks in position in the frame.

The bearing blocks supporting the rolls are in each case adjustable for wear, and also, in the case of the upper roll for precisely adj usting the distance between the rolls to vary the thickness of the work. In the case of the lower roll, only the bearing block 29 is adjustable and this, both for initially adjusting the bearing and for subsequently, after it has become worn, adjusting for wear. To this end, I provide an elongated wedge block 45 arranged between the inclined wall 19 and the bearing block 29, which is longitudinally adjusted by a screw 46 journaled in the retainer plate 44, and actuable from the outside by the application of a wrench to its projecting head.

The upper roll is bodily adjustable, the bearing block 28 being adjusted in a manner similar to the bearing block '29, namely, by a wedge block 47, actuable by a screw 48 j ournaled in the retainer plate 43.

For adjusting the upper bearing block 24,-

which takes the heavy rolling thrusts, I provide a long wedge block extending the entire lengthof the block into a hole 49 formed in the frame at the left, Fig. 4, this wedge block being, arranged between the inclined wall 18 and the bearing block 24, and actuated by a. screw 50, journaled in the retainer plate 44. By these gradually inclined walls and wed e blocks, the distance between the rolls can e very accurately adjusted, and at the same time the rolls are supported against springing due to the rolling thrusts by the extensive bearing areas, which this construction makes possible. The wedge blocks are preferably made of some anti-friction bearing metal or alloy to avoid frictional binding and similarly the inner surfaces of the bear-.

ing blocks and the walls opposite the end surfaces of the rolls are lined with a similar anti-friction Bearing metal or alloy, generally indicated by reference numeral51.

For oscillating the rolls simultaneously in been set in operation opposite directions and at the same rate for crank arms are connected to a main balanced power shaft 54 which is journalled in spaced bearings 55 and 56 supported from a massive bracket 57 secured to the rear vertical face of the main frame 11. To store energy in this shaft to oscillate the rolls, smoothly Without overloading the driving motor, it is provided at its opposite ends with heavy fly wheels 58 and 59 of substantially equal Weight and these fly wheels are connected, by eccentrically arranged pins 60 and 61, connected thereto, to the crank arms 52 and 53 through the connecting links 62 and 63. The fly wheels are, of course, provided at points diametrically opposite from the eccentrically arranged pins with balancing weights indicated at 65 and 65 whereby the system mounted on the shaft is in a state of both static and dynamic balance.

To energize the power shaft 54 and maintain it energized during the rolling operations, I constitute one of the fly wheels, namely, the fly wheel 58, a gear wheel. This gear wheel meshes with a inion 66 on a counter shaft 67 mounted in l iearings 68, 69 and 70.

This shaft and its bearings is arranged above and forward of the shaft 54, the bearings 68 and 69 being arranged on the bracket 57 and bearing 70 on a separate bracket 71 secured to the adjacent rear corner of the main frame 11. The shaft is provided with a sprocket Wheel 72, which is driven from a motor 73 secured on top of the main frame 11, through the link belt 74;

This arrangement of the power transmitting'elements for actuating the rolls provides a compact and balanced arrangement, minimizing lost motion and vibration, and thus tending to prolong the life of the machine and to produce a superior quality of work.

Since the rolls are intended to operate primarily on hot metal, I have shown them provided with cooling means comprising longitudinal and transverse passages 74 formed in the bodies of the rolls and through which the cooling fluid is circulated'by flexible inlet conduits as 75 and flexible outlet conduits as 76 connected to the cooling passages 74 in the rolls at the outer ends thereof. At the front of the machine a. platform 78 of a height to facilitate bringing the work to and removing it from the machine may be provided.

I The operation of the mill will be briefly described as follows: Assuming the mill has by starting the motor 73, the blanks 7 5 to be rolled are inserted one at a time or preferably, as shown, in the stacks of two or more, through the opening 76 in the front of the machine frame 11, by

65 any suitable feeding device, such as the tongs 77, when the rolls are in the opposite extreme of their oscillatory movement from the one shown 'in Fig. 3 of the drawings. When the rolls begin to oscillate in the reverse direction, the dies engage the blanks near their center and the metal is rolled radially outward between the dies and progressively thinned until, as the rolls approach the position shown in Fig. 3, they pass off the blanks and the latter are then free to be turned so as to present another portion of the blanksto this rolling action. The rolling proceeds in this way by successive passes until the entire surface of the blanks is rolled, when the metal of the blanks will be uniformly distributed about their centers and their peripheries will approximate a circle, and the section of the discs will have the appropriate taper determined by the contour of the dies, as in my prior patent above referred to. The rolling by this machine progresses very rapidly, a pass at each oscillation of the rolls, and a disc or discs can be finished in a very short period of time, particularly if the machine has associated with it an automatic feeding device (not shown)- which presents the blanks to the rolls and turns them at each pass. Such feeding device is, of course, not essential, because, by having one man handle the tongs and another attending to the turning of the blanks, the feeding can be done by hand in time with the oscillation of the rolls.

While I have herein illustrated a specific embodiment of my invention which is satisfactory in use, it will be understood that changes and modifications may be made without departng from the generic scope of the invention, and such changes and modifications are included in the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. In a rolling machine, a frame, a pair of opposed oscillating rolls extendin inwardly from the opposite sides of the rame, and having outer portions of cylindrical form mounted in corresponding bearings at the sides of the frame, and inner parti-cylindrical extensions of said outer portions having opposed working faces within the projected surface of the rolls, and means on said frame for supporting the cylindrical parts of said parti-cylindrical surfaces.

2. In a rolling machine, a frame, opposed oscillating rolls mounted therein, and means for supporting said rolls substantially throughout their length by an arc of contact of larger radius than the distance of their work faces from the roll axis, said are of contact remaining, in all Working' positions of the rolls, of large value, whereby the rolls are supported at all times by extensive bearing surfaces to enable them to take the rolling stresses without springing.

3. A machine of the class described, a main frame having bearings extending inwardly from its opposite sides, opposed oscillatable rolls mounted in said bearings and having cranks' connected to their outer ends extending in opposite directions, a continuously r0- tating shaft carrying fly wheels on opposite ends thereof, and links connecting eccentric I portions of said wheels with said cranks, and a motor for driving said shaft through reduction gearing.

In testimony whereof he hereunto afiixes his signature.

I EDWARD G. BUDD. 

